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Comparative study between M. oleifera and aluminum sulfate for water treatment: case study Colombia

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Abstract

The world has a water deficit, mostly located in developing countries. For example, in Colombia, water deficit is a major concern and it increases in rural areas, where the rate of accessibility to drinking water is of 33.26 % in 2005. Since the 1970s, the most used technology for water purification is the conventional physicochemical process. The most common coagulant used in this process is aluminum sulfate (alum). This study focuses on a comparison between Moringa oleifera seeds and alum for water treatment in different natural waters. Results showed that M. oleifera removed 90 % turbidity and alum 96 % from water samples from the tested natural brook. However, color removal for M. oleifera was 95 and 80.3 % for alum. For water-polluted samples, both coagulants have shown high efficiency (100 %) in color and turbidity removal. Usage of natural coagulants (i.e., M. oleifera) instead of chemical ones (i.e., alum) are more convenient in rural areas where the economic situation and accessibility of those products are key elements to maintain fresh water treatment standards. Additionally, results demonstrated that high dosages M. oleifera did not affect the optimal value in terms of color and turbidity removal. In rural and developing countries, this is important because it does not require a sophisticated dosing equipment.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the University of Medellin. We would greatly like to thank GEMA laboratory for providing us their facilities. Finally, we would like to thank Juan David Cortez for their support during this research study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Civil and Agricultural Program, National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    Lorena L. Salazar Gámez

  2. Faculty of Engineering, University of Medellin, Medellin, Colombia

    Mario Luna-delRisco

  3. Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering Program, University of Nariño, San Juan de Pasto, Nariño, Colombia

    Roberto Efrain Salazar Cano

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  1. Lorena L. Salazar Gámez
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  2. Mario Luna-delRisco
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  3. Roberto Efrain Salazar Cano
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Correspondence to Lorena L. Salazar Gámez.

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Salazar Gámez, L.L., Luna-delRisco, M. & Cano, R.E.S. Comparative study between M. oleifera and aluminum sulfate for water treatment: case study Colombia. Environ Monit Assess 187, 668 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4793-y

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